The panda, also known as panda bear, or the giant panda, is a bear which is native to south central China. This animal is unique due to its black and white fur. The fur is white with large black patches around the eyes, on the ears and across the body. It is considered that this fur serves the panda for the purpose of camouflage.
This animal is called the giant panda aiming to distinguish it from the red panda which isn’t related to the giant.
This unusual bear lives in central China, in the mountains and mainly in the provinces of Sichuan, and Shaanxi and Gansu. The excessive farming, deforestation and development in general represent a threat to its existence. The panda is considered a vulnerable species nowadays.
Pandas share common characteristics with raccoons and bears, but studies showed that the panda is a real bear. This animal is considered a living fossil.
Adult male pandas can be as much as 1.9 meters high, and weigh up to 160 kg. Female pandas are up to 20% smaller than males.
The panda is unique due to its paws because it has a thumb and five fingers, which enables the panda to hold bamboo branches.
The pandas usually live 20 years in the wild and longer in captivity.
The giant panda eats almost exclusively bamboo. Pandas inhabit the bamboo forests of China for millions of years. They sometimes eat grass, or birds and rodents and in some rare cases they eat carrion. When they are kept in captivity pandas eat fish, eggs, bananas, oranges, etc.
These animals have undergone some serious adaptations during their evolution. The pandas still have a digestive system of a carnivore which doesn’t support their diet consisted almost entirely of plants.
Because of that, the panda needs to eat the feces of their mothers or other pandas to obtain the bacteria required to digest the bamboo they are eating because their intestines are naturally sterile.
The panda digestive system can derive only small amounts of protein and energy from eating bamboo.
That is why the 9 to 14 kg of bamboo they eat isn’t enough to provide them with the energy for intense activities. Because of that, the panda tries to limit the spending of its energy. It has a low metabolism and a sedentary lifestyle.
Pandas will go to different habitats if they have to, to find food. They usually go to higher altitudes during the summer months to find food with more nutrients.
The panda doesn’t have many predators in nature. Their cubs are attacked by the predators in the area where they live, such as snow leopards, feral dogs, eagles, black bears, etc.
Wild pandas mostly spend their life in the bamboo forests of the province of Sichuan. These animals are usually solitary beings. They have their own territory and they usually encounter each others during the mating season. After the mating is finished, the males are gone and the females raise the cubs alone.
Their activity is both diurnal and nocturnal. They communicate to each other through different vocalizations and scent markings on trees, as well as clawing them. Pandas don’t need to hibernate and move to warmer climates during the winter.
The pregnancy lasts from 95 to 160 days. They often give birth to twins, but the mother chooses the stronger cub because it doesn’t have enough milk for the both cubs. The mothers play with their cubs and the cubs live with their mothers usually until the age of 1.5 years.
It’s an interesting fact that the westerners first heard about the panda in late nineteenth century. Nowadays it is a very vulnerable species due to loss of its habitat and low birthrate. The panda is also a target of poachers.
The panda is an unusually cute animal but a very powerful totem.
What does the Panda Symbolize?
The panda symbolizes harmony, balance, peace, territory, order, discretion, gratitude, appreciation, slow but steady movement forward, will, flexibility, gentleness, gentle strength, good fortune, passivity, slowness, shyness, diplomacy, nurturing, emotions, determination, comfort, security, adaptability, culture, and personal boundaries.
The Meanings of Panda as a Spirit Animal
The panda spirit animal has many different meanings. Here are some of them:
Territory and personal boundaries. Pandas are territorial animals. The panda spirit animal teaches you of the need to have your own personal space as well as to devote time solely to yourself and your needs. That is of outmost importance to maintain the balance and harmony in your life. You make sure others know your personal boundaries and respect them.
Order. The panda totem animal teaches you the gift of order and its benefits. You need to remain well organized so you can maintain your life stability and balance.
Gentle strength and slow progress. The panda possesses gentle strength. It moves forward slowly towards its goals but eventually gets there. It possesses undeniable determination and will to succeed. The panda is supporting you achieve your goals and encourages you to endure regardless of how difficult the situation might seem to you.
Comfort and security. The panda totem animal is teaching you of the importance of being comfortable and secure which requires material abundance. It encourages you to accumulate wealth to feel secure and relaxed about your future.
Slowness. The panda tends to save its energy and that is why moves very slowly. This totem animal teaches you of the importance not to rush into things. Slowly think through things and then take action. That way you will assure the success of your actions.
Adaptability. The pandas are considered one of the most adaptable animals on the planet. These bears are carnivores and have adapted to almost 100% plant diet, due to the habitat they live in. This totem animal is giving you the gift of adaptability and teaching you the need to adapt to the circumstances and the environment you are in, so that you can survive and strive forward towards your goals.
Determination. Pandas move slowly towards their goals. They teach you never to give up and be determined to accomplish what you desire, regardless of the inner or outer obstacles you might be facing.
Gratitude and appreciation. The panda totem animal is teaching you of the need to be grateful and appreciative for the things you have in life. Don’t take your blessings for granted and instead thank the Universe and the people who have helped you get these blessings. The panda also reminds you to appreciate yourself.
Shyness. If the panda is your totem animal you are most likely a shy person. The panda is encouraging you to overcome your natural shyness and open up to people. It asks you to gain confidence in yourself and your abilities.
Panda as Your Totem Animal
If a panda is your totem animal you should consider yourself very lucky.
With the panda as your totem, you are most likely a loner by nature and prefer having your space to do your own thing without anyone disturbing you. You most likely have this trait even if you are a highly sociable person with many interpersonal relationships.
Your partner, friends and relatives know you and respect your need to retreat and charge your batteries.
You love nature and enjoy spending time there. For you it is important to have your personal balance. You set your boundaries straight and you require others to respect them. You need to feel secure and grounded.
If the panda is your spirit animal you might be overly emotional and seeking security and comfort in material and physical things.
You could also be very sensitive and prone to mood swings. You are very sensitive to your surroundings and don’t like too much stress and activities going on around you. You feel strongly the energy that surrounds you and the energy that is emitted from other people as well.
You tend to stay away from negativity because that is important for your emotional balance.
You most likely have a strong impact on your environment. You have an ability to give the right solution to resolve a dispute between others. You are very wise. You rarely quarrel and fight and tend to stand beside.
Even if you are personally provoked you tend to turn your back and avoid fighting. You let things unfold naturally.
You are sometimes prone to take on more responsibilities and tasks than you are capable of achieving. This totem animal is asking you not to exaggerate and take one task at a time. You risk making a mistake if you take on too many projects at once.
If a panda is your totem you are most likely very shy but you are also warmhearted and accepting. You have a natural desire to be loved and to love.
What if the Panda Appears in Your Life?
The panda appearing in your life could be a reminder that you need to establish balance in your life. It announces a time of peace coming.
The panda could appear in your life to ask you to clear the negativity and declutter your life so you can establish order. It is also a reminder to devote more time to your needs. It is asking you to take better care of yourself and nurture yourself.
This totem animal also asks you to be grateful for all the blessings you have. Express your appreciation to those who deserve. This totem animal is also an announcement of more blessings coming in your life in the form of wealth and abundance.
In some cases, the panda in your life could be a calling from the Universe to begin doing some charity work.
The panda could be a reminder to retreat and begin working on developing your spirituality.
The panda reminds you to focus on the good things you have in life and be thankful. That way you are sending a message to the Universe to send you more similar blessings.
The panda also reminds you to confront some issues you have been avoiding for some time. Don’t let things get out of proportion but deal with them in time.
When to call on Panda?
You should call on panda spirit animal when:
- You need to establish balance in your life or when you are out of balance;
- You need peace in your life;
- You need to look at a problem or a situation from different perspectives;
- You need to be more confident and self – appreciative;
- You need to stand up to yourself;
- You need help in determining priorities in your projects so you don’t end up burdening yourself too much;
Dreams about Panda – Interpretation and Meaning
If you dreamed about pandas your dream could indicate the need to be cared for and nourished. You should pay attention to the food you are consuming. In some cases it could indicate problems with your digestion.
Sometimes this dream could indicate not being able to deal with something in your life and needing to make a compromise so that a solution could be found.
A dream about a panda could indicate your spiritual evolvement.